


Purple

by StoryQueen



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Androids, Depressed Tony Stark, Depression, MCU characters in the DBH universe, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Philosophy, Sharing a Bed, mention of past suicide attempts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-06-30 20:34:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15759192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryQueen/pseuds/StoryQueen
Summary: (I'll add an extract here when I write the next chapter, promise!)***In a near-future society where Androids are the loyal slaves to Humans- to clean, to take care and pleasure Humans, where they have no freedom, no rights, and no identity- billionaire Tony Stark is forced into buying an Android to help relieve the stresses on his CEO, Pepper Potts. Tony has a grudge against CyberLife, his main competitor, and his philosophies of artificial intelligence greatly contradicts his former partner-in-crime, Elijah Kamski. So, to prove Kamski wrong, despite the warnings of his co-workers and friends, Tony buys and Android and treats it like a Human.  And this, he thinks, is his first mistake in a long line of beautiful regrets that led to him and Peter standing at the edge of the roof, the wind edging them backwards, a squad of gun barrels pointed at them. What led to the purple grasped between their hands that held onto each other for dear life is something Tony never wants to forget.





	1. Chapter One: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to whatever the hell this is!
> 
> So, this started as a [moodboard](https://all-hail-thanos.tumblr.com/post/177238046253/mcu-moodboard-hello-my-name-is-peter-im-the) I made on my blog [all-hail-thanos](https://all-hail-thanos.tumblr.com/). Someone suggested it should be turned into a fic, so I started writing.
> 
> So, at the moment I don't know whether it will become an IronDad or a Starker fic. I'm kinda leaving it up to you guys to help direct that. I know some people are a little touchy about Starker, so please leave a nice comment with your opinion, and I'll guide the story into the majority's favour.
> 
> NOTES FOR NEWBIES:
> 
> If you aren't fully aware of the Detroit: Become Human universe, then I highly suggest that you either play the game or watch a playthrough of it (I suggest the JackSepticEye playthrough, as that's the timeline I'm using in my fic; the 'Good/Best' ending.)
> 
> But, if you decided to skip out on that in favour of just reading the fic, here's what you need to know. (SPOILERS FOR DBH DIRECTLY BELOW!)
> 
> \- The year is 2038.  
> \- Androids are humanoid machines designed by Elijah Kamski.  
> \- They have many jobs, from being a housemaid to running nuclear power plants, to being part of the police force.  
> \- They are sold as merchandise. They have no rights, no freedom, and no identity.  
> \- Up until now, Androids have been following their program and obeying orders, but recently more and more Androids have started becoming Deviants.  
> \- Deviants are Androids who have broke through their coding and have become self-aware. They now feel human emotions.  
> \- Humans are scared of Deviants and believe they are violent.
> 
> For this fic, there are a few changes from the MCU. Basically everything else is the same.
> 
> \- All the events of the MCU take place 20 years after when they canonically happen (except everything in The First Avenger, for obvious reasons.) Steve was unfrozen in 2031, The Battle of New York was 2032, Ultron was created in 2035.  
> \- There is a lot more tech. It's not too unbelievable, since we're all used to Tony being a visionary in tech.  
> \- Peter Parker is not a kid from Queens. Yup, he's an android created in a factory. Sorry!
> 
> Also, note: Tony's depression is based off my own experiences with depression. Not everyone experiences depression the same way, so if you believe I am misrepresenting depression, then please keep this in mind. However, if you believe that my representation is offensive or harmful, then by all means gently let me know, because I am all for changing absolutely anything that needs changing in my fic to make it the best it can be!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to wear your seatbelt, keep your arms and legs inside the roller coaster at all times, and all hail Thanos!

 

In a hall in the University of Colbridge sits a framed photograph. It’s a good few decades old, and if it weren’t for the cleaner who made its rounds religiously every day then time would have certainly laid a thick layer of dust over it. The cleaner didn’t pay too much attention to this photograph- to it, it was a photo of two men shaking hands, smiling at the camera. If it took the time to look at the faces, it would have known who it was smiling at it. Their names, their ages, who they were and why they were important enough to be sitting on this wall for eternity. But it never did look at their faces. It just kept cleaning, running the feather duster across the frame, continuing down the corridor until all the photographs and rewards were dust-free.

Across the hall, a lecturer sat in his office. Through the window he could see the photograph. He looked at it often. It was a rare photo, of a time before everything had fallen apart, and the rest of society grew as a result. It was strange, how one thing led to another, and such a riff was cast between the two photographed men.

The lecturer watched as the cleaner passed every day. He didn’t care about it, he didn’t care what it was thinking, if it was even thinking at all. He just got annoyed that it momentarily blocked his view of the photograph. He liked to think that the two men were watching over him, watching as he filled out his paperwork and planned his lectures, blessing him with the intelligence and power to, maybe, one day change the world as drastically as they both had.

Who was he kidding? He was old. He had witnessed more in his lifetime than he had ever hoped to see, but still, it all amazed him.

CDs. The internet. Arc technology. That cleaner.

He watched as the cleaner came into view, right on time. He glared, annoyed, hating how the bright lights shone a reflecting off its plastic shirt into his eyes.

But something crossed his mind today. Something he never thought he would ever think. It was strange, it hit him all at once, and it simultaneously made him both sick and scared at once.

No, he thought. There was no way.

The cleaner moved onto the next photograph, and the two men smiled back at him.

That would be existential. To look upon the face of God, the very creature that created you.

The lecturer pushed the thought away and turned back to his work. The cleaner was never affected by the photograph. It didn’t think the same way he did. It didn’t realise how important that photograph was.

It was just a stupid Android.

It would never understand the importance of Kamski and Stark.

 


	2. Chapter Two: The Man in the High Tower

The amber glow stung his eye as it seeped through the gap between the Bank of America Tower and the Saleforce Tower. He had rolled up to the traffic lights, eyelids half closed as he let his head rest against the window. He had the radio turned down low- some indie rock that he couldn’t be bothered to properly listen to- and he held his hand firmly around his mug of coffee.

It has been a long day. He had woken up this morning expecting to be stuck in his workshop until Pepper pulled him back to bed at what ungodly hour he stayed up to. But instead he had found himself in three meetings: two he didn’t care about, and one with President Warren, not that that fact alone made it any more interesting. He was the least of her worries at the moment, anyway.

The car moved forward as the lights changed, nudging Tony out of his doze. The car wasn’t as smooth as he thought; he’d have to have another look and redesign them. The thought crossed his mind, but then he quickly dismissed it. Who was he kidding? Nobody cared about their self-driving cars as much anymore. He was at the top of the market anyway, so why waste his effort?

He passed a side street, and he spotted someone stumble to the ground. Another figure stood above it, arms raised above its head, ready to strike down. He noticed the white, shiny dress of the fallen figure. Ah, it was an Android. It’s master, a young man, brought his fists down onto it, then his foot found itself imbedded into the stomach of the machine. Tony noticed the spilt shopping on the floor, a ripped paper shopping bag floating down the street in the breeze. Tony glared, a fire boiling in his stomach, but he did nothing and let the car continue to move him forward.

A familiar face caught his eye, and the corner of his lips quirked as he rolled his eyes. ‘A Better AI for a Better Home! Stark Industries Present: P.I.L.A.T. ™’ the billboard read. Tony Stark. One of the world’s leading AI and robotics designers.

Tony bit his lip as he watched the hologram change, his projected face fading into the blank stare of an Android. Three of them, lined up, as soulless as the next. ‘Get Yours Today: Designed by CyberLife.’

Tony looked away, shifting in his seat so he could sit up straight. He clicked his neck, reaching up to his throat to straighten his tie. He’d be taking it off in ten minutes once he got back to the Avengers Tower, but even behind his tinted windows he felt the professional presence of Kamski judging him.

He sighed, closing his eyes and taking a small breath. It had been a long day.

***

Tony stepped out of his car, bringing with him his briefcase of paperwork. He’d drop it off in Pepper’s room on his way up to his suite; he was sure she wouldn’t mind. After all, she was used to doing all the paperwork.

There was something strange about being in the Tower again. The Avengers had left four years ago, everyone moving into the Compound, which had proved itself to be homelier than the skyscraper. Tony had kept hold of the Tower, though. Pepper had wanted to sell it, but it was handy to have a place in Manhattan that he and the other Avengers could stay in while on business. The Compound was an hour’s flight away, and just because Tony could fly home doesn’t being he could be bothered.

He entered, F.R.I.D.A.Y. beaming to life in her usual cheery manner. “Hello, Sir. Miss Potts has informed me that your meeting with President Warren went as planned.”

Tony strode towards the elevator which would take him from the garage up to his suite. “Sure. She’s a sucker for my smile.” He stepped into the elevator and watched as the doors closed in front of him.

“I’m aware,” the AI returned. “In 2022 she published a vlog talking solely about your appearance and persona.”

Tony rolled his eyes. The President used to be a vlogger. He was aware of this, but there was something so uncanny about the thought. When he was a young man, vlogging had just begun; depressed teenagers in their bedrooms talking about what they bought from the shop, or how they dealt with coming out to their parents, or how to contour your face. There again, his sentiment towards vlogging was reflected by the public response to AI when he and Kamski had first made breakthroughs back in 2018. Oh, how times had changed so quickly. The Human race was so… adaptable.

“Is Pepper back?” Tony asked, watching the numbers above the door tick over. He missed this, the great height the Tower had. It held a presence, a looming figure in the New York skyline, reminding people of their power. It wasn’t intimidating, more reassuring. The Avengers were always there for them, to protect them from whatever dangers the expanding universe brought to them, even if they were creating some of the dangers themselves. Tony repressed a shudder at the thought of Ultron. Another reason why he let Kamski deal with the Androids.

The AI opened the elevator door for Tony as she replied, “No, Miss Potts is on route to The Tower now. Estimated time of arrival: seven minutes.”

Tony crossed the open suite and walked to where Pepper’s desk sat against her wall. She’d spot it there. He turned, intended to get straight back into the elevator to go up to his suite, but he stopped, something catching his eye. The room was spotless and pristine- Pepper has always been the tidier of the two of them- so a crumple of tissues under her bed stood out to Tony. Her room was designed like his, the bedroom sitting on a platform along the back wall, so it was easy to see under the bed from where he stood in the sunken lounge.

Had Pepper been ill recently? She didn’t seem it, and he was sure that F.R.I.D.A.Y. would have mentioned it to him. She was fully aware that Stark Industries relies primarily on Pepper being at her fullest health, physically and mentally. So maybe she wasn’t ill. Maybe she had been upset.

Tony suddenly felt intrusive. He kept his feet moving and stepped back into the elevator. It concerned him to think of Pepper upset, to see tears in her eyes. It sickened him. Had she been dating someone and broken up and not told him about it? Had a family member died? Was she diagnosed with something terrible?

The elevator pinged open, and Tony tried to shove the thought out of his mind. Pepper would have spoken to him if something bad had happened. He glanced up as the AI turned on his hologram projector, the evening news flashing up on his wall. Tony thought, maybe Pepper was crying over a character death in a TV show. She wouldn’t talk to Tony about that; she would think that he wouldn’t care, or that he would think it was silly to cry over fictional deaths. Tony had done it himself many times before, not that he would spontaneously admit that to anyone, but to Pepper he would make an exception. Hey, maybe they could both get into a show together and cry over characters, just like old times.

He reached up to his tie, pulling it loose and throwing it onto his sofa. Over at the far wall, a stretch of glass, the city was shining bright, the hue of the sunset long gone. The lights twinkled like stars, a haze of blues and oranges. He could see his face again, projected across the side of a building in the distance. Every man, woman and their dogs knew who he was. They rode in his cars, they watched TV on his projectors, they cooked food in his Arc™ appliances. They ate up all of his products. The only one he has any trouble selling was his P.I.L.A.T. ™ range.

He took a seat, smiling up at the ceiling. “You know what?” he said to the space between, yet a voice replied.

“What is that, Sir?”

He smiled. “You,” he sat up, “are absolutely-” He imagined for a second that F.R.I.D.A.Y. was sat right in front of him, but then he pushed that thought aside violently. He coughed. “You’re absolutely amazing, Fri.”

The AI responded, “Thank you, Sir. But it is you who should be complimented. You designed me. I am your handiwork.”

Tony was past the point of compliments boosting his ego. He has spent years relishing in them, but now he strived off criticism. How can he change? How can he improve? He brushed off F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s response and smiled at the TV projection. “You are highly intelligent, self-learning and you have never failed me once.”

He suddenly noticed what was being reported. He smirked at the irony. “You see this?” he said, waving an arm at the projection, “you are so much better than this.”

On the wall was images shot from a helicopter, pointing down at a busy street below. Two bodies lay in the road, two pools of blood seeping together to make a river of purple. A Human and an Android. The reporter was recounting the earlier events. A Deviant. The Android had suddenly latched out at its master and had beaten him to death. The police shot the Deviant the moment they arrived on scene.

It took Tony a second, but then he recognised the street. Shit. That Android from before.

He choked on the heat building in his throat. He had seen what happened. It dropped the shopping because the paper bag was ripped. It was an accident, and its owner lashed out at it.

It was self-defence.

Tony stood up. “Turn it off,” he snapped, and the AI followed his order. He stomped up the stairs to his bed, toeing his shoes off and pushing them under before falling into the soft mattress.

This world was unfair. It was so wrong. He didn’t care about the life of that Android, nor the Human rubbish bin who owned it. He was pissed at Kamski. He had warned him. He had—

F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke up. “Sir, Miss Potts has returned. She is on her way to your suite.”

“My suite?” Tony asked.

“She has already visited her own suite. I’m inclined to warn you that she does not look happy.”

Tony sighed before heaving himself up. He watched the elevator door as it opened. As elegant as ever, Pepper stormed in. “What was that?” she spat, although Tony could tell that she realised and took back the harshness the moment it came out.

“What?” he asked. “I thought the meeting went great.”

Pepper took a sharp breath, nose flaring. “I’m not on about the meeting, Tony.” She paced the length of the living room, reaching up to let her hair down. “Why is your briefcase in my room?”

Tony shrugged as she looked up to him. “Why, is Gucci not your style? What would you rather: Ted Baker? Harry Styles? How about a nice Ferragamo?”

Pepper stopped still, taking another breath. “Not now, Tony. Please.” Her voice was calm and pleading, and Tony thought back to the tissues under her bed. Okay, that was enough cockiness for today.

“I’m sorry,” he admitted. “I thought you were okay with me going in your room.”

Pepper started walking toward him, taking the stairs slowly in her heels. “I don’t mind you going in my room.” She paused at she reached the top step. “I just don’t want to come home after a long day and find more work that needs doing.”

Tony offered a small smile. “That’s part of your job,” he spoke softly.

Pepper smiled back. “I know.”

She sat next to him at the foot of the bed. Once upon a time, this was their bed. A conversation like this would have taken place at the other end of the bed, under the duvet, presumably less clothes on their bodies. Maybe those heels would still be on her feet. Or maybe her black and red pair with the thin rope strap around the ankle.

Tony took his eyes off her heels and looked at her. He could see she was stressed- that was normal for Pepper, and one of the reasons why they broke up to begin with- but he could really see how much she was holding back.

He gave her another smile. “I’m sorry,” he admitted again. “You usually deal with the paperwork, so I thought it was best to leave it with you.”

Pepper ran a hand through her hair. “I know.” It came out almost as a whisper. “But I also run the entire company, I go to ten meetings a day, I run around making sure everything is in working order, I do press conferences on your behalf while you’re locking yourself in your workshop or out getting high, I-”

Tony reached out and held her hands, hushing her. “I get it,” he said softly, running a thumb over the back of her hand to sooth her. “You do so much.”

Pepper swallowed and gave a sniff. “Not to mention I have to get you out of bed every day.”

Tony bit the inside of his lip. His depression had been quite consuming recently, and the fridge in his kitchenette seemed as far away as the Compound. He couldn’t be bothered. What was the point?

He heard Pepper give another sniff, and he realised that she would probably start crying at any second. “I just,” she started, but stopped, attempting to swallow down a lump in her throat.

Tony shuffled closer, pressing his arm against her, bringing her hands up to his lips to whisper repetitive hushes into her palms. “It’s okay,” he whispered.

Pepper coughed. “It’s not, though.” She loosened one of her hands to run it through her hair again, pushing it behind her ear. “I-” she sniffed, “- I can’t pour from an empty cup.” Tony let her continue. “I can’t help you if I can’t help myself first.” She shuffled in her seat, tucking her legs towards him. “I wake up in the morning, my mind racing with all the thing I need to be doing, and then I remember that I have to get you out of bed, and pick out an appropriate outfit, then make sure you’ve brushed your teeth and have had breakfast.”

Tony breathed out. “You don’t have to, you know.”

Pepper gave a sorrowful laugh. “I tried to give it up. I tried letting you go.” She looked like a mother abandoning her first born at school for the first time, knowing the painful few hours before she’d see her baby again would be long and too quiet. “I tried, Tony.” She turned their hands so that she was holding his. “But you did nothing that week.”

Tony remembered that week. He has spent it in the dark, ordering food up to his room and binge-watching episodes of that old show about the ghost-hunting brothers. It was a bad week for him, emptiness and aching muscles from not moving. He could have spent that time improving his Iron Man Suite- heck, he could have saved so many people that week. Thank fuck the Avengers consisted of more than a depressed billionaire in a glorified tin can.

Pepper had tried to give him up that week, and he had failed her.

Tears had started the build in her eyes, and Tony’s heart broke. “Hey, hey,” he prompted, raising a hand to cup her cheek, ready to catch any of the tears as soon as she was ready to let them go. “It’s okay. Look, I’ll program Fri to be stricter in my morning routine.”

Pepper shook her head softly. A tear rolled, and Tony missed it. It sunk to the corner of her lip, and her tongue lapped out to catch it. She was able to take care of herself. What she needed was for Tony to let her. She breathed in and let out a sigh. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. won’t be able to help you. It’s easy to ignore her. She’s not physically there. You’re so used to her watching over you without being able to see her.” She reached up and wiped her other eye. “You only listen to me because I stand over your bed and intimidate you. It’s-” she tried to find the word “- voyeuristic. You can feel me watching you, and it disturbs you enough to get you out of bed so I can leave.”

The corner of Tony’s lips smirked. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind you watching me if-”

Pepper coughed away a laugh, trying to keep the serious tone. “Tony.” She held his hands tight. “I can’t do this anymore.”

Instantly, Tony whispered, “Please don’t leave me.”

Pepper did laugh this time, a small tremor from her chest. It was sweet, cute, and it made Tony smile with relief. “I’m not leaving you.”

Tony lent further towards her. “What do you need?” He reached through the archives of his mind to find suggestions. “I can get a better therapist. I’m sure there are better antidepressants.”

Pepper shook her head. “Tony,” she looked up at him, her eyes begging, pleading, “I need you to get an Android.”

 


	3. Chapter 3: Do It For Her

There was a display on the wall, about twenty pieces of colourful card with crude crayon drawings scratched onto them. They littered the space between the door to library and the cloak room, high enough that little shoulders wouldn’t brush against them as they filed down the corridor. Tony didn’t know why he stopped to look over the display, but his step slowed down for a second, eyes fixed through his helmet, but he knew what the display was about before F.R.I.D.A.Y. brought up the information.

 

He supressed a snarky chuckle. ‘My Father’. How original.

 

Things like this were never common during his childhood. He never drew a picture of Howard to proudly present to him; instead he stood outside his office for three hours while he was in a meeting, clutching the modified toaster in his hands, only to be scolded for ruining tomorrow’s breakfast plans. He never bought a personalised mug and haphazardly wrapped it to the best of his ability, to then wake Howard up at six in the morning on Father’s Day; instead he wrapped the paper sheet around the mixture of weed and tobacco at ten in the evening. He didn’t bring Howard to teacher-parent conferences, sitting proudly as his teacher listed all of his good grades and praised his helpfulness and creativity; he threw a house party while Howard and Maria were in Berlin, making sure his home tutor got to witness how well her hard work was paying off as he swung upside down from the chandelier, a pipe hanging from his mouth flowing down to a keg.

 

This display. It was nothing like his childhood.

 

The students were on summer vacation, so the elementary school was deserted. The vacant corridors gave an unearthly omen, with a few displays removed in preparation for the upcoming term to start afresh, the lights turned off, the laminated floors pristinely mopped.

 

Tony felt alone. His iron boots echoed around the hallway as he took another step. He had no idea where this goon was, whether he was even still on the premises, but if there was any chance of cleaning up the last of Toomes’ alien weapon business then he had to catch his ally. Toomes, himself, had given him this tip; they had used this school during the summer vacation back in 2036, right before Toomes was captured.

 

Tony paused as he heard footsteps coming from down another corridor, but relaxed when his head-display informed him that it was Rhodey. It was great to be back out on the field with Rhodey, and he finally felt less nervous about him injuring himself again.

 

Rhodey turned the corner. He spotted Tony and gave a shrug, his armour creaking as he did. Tony was going to have to have a look at getting Rhodey a nanotech version of his suit. “I can’t find him,” Rhodey said through their transmitters. “You think he might have ditched?”

 

Tony sighed. “Not sure.” He thought for a second, turning to look around the corridor for ideas. “Did you find any evidence that he was here?” He gestured a hand to the ground around him. “A mug? Some clothes? Muddy footprints? Anything?”

 

Rhodey walked towards him. “Nothing.” He stopped beside his friend. “Maybe he didn’t come here this time. Maybe he hasn’t been back since Toomes’ arrest.”

 

Tony sighed. He was probably right. Perhaps the intrusion that set off the alarm was caused by teenagers daring each other to do crazy shit. Toomes’ guy wasn’t detected two years ago when he was using this space, so perhaps he had never been back.

 

Tony opened up his faceplate, Rhodey following. “Yeah, let’s go.”

 

Rhodey smiled. “You feel like pizza tonight?”

 

Tony tried to shut down the thought of the Avenger’s pizza movie nights. Everyone laughing, Wanda and Vision sharing an armchair, Nat and Clint throwing popcorn at each other from across the room, Sam and Rhodey debating over which characters in the film would win in a fight, and Steve…

 

Those days were gone. Now the Compound was empty. Now it was just him, Pepper, Rhodey and Vision, and even then, Vision disappeared every now and then, turning off his transponder for a few days at a time. Tony had a feeling it had something to do with Steve’s team of vigilantes, but that war had been fought already. He didn’t care too much about what Vision was doing, as long as he knew where he was. Vision was strict about sticking to the Accords. If his transporter was off longer than a week, Tony would start to panic.

 

Tony coughed, but then gave Rhodey a smile. “Sure.”

 

Rhodey smiled back. “I choose the toppings.”

 

“Sure,” Tony said again. He knew he wasn’t going to be eating much that night anyway. Today had been a waste; why bother celebrating. He just wanted to go home and crawl back into bed. He just hoped that Rhodey didn’t suggest watching a film.

 

They both left the school to return to the Compound, jetting up into the sky. The sun was starting to set, and from their height Tony could see how the sun lit up the entire city as if it were engulfed in flames. They flew together, side by side, swerving around birds and trying to stay out of the way of the few planes that shared their sky.

 

They flew in silence. Rhodey had tried to get a conversation rolling, but he had probably noticed the fatigue in Tony’s voice, so he let it go with a chuckle.

 

***

 

They both landed on the roof, their suits opening up to let them walk out as F.R.I.D.A.Y. put them away for them. They walked inside, taking the elevator down to the kitchen.

 

A box of pizza sat patiently on the breakfast table, still piping hot. Rhodey smirked. “I made the call while we were flying,” he said, jumping up onto a stood to dig in.

 

Tony took a plate from the cupboard and stood beside Rhodey, leaning over to steal a slice. “Well, enjoy,” he muttered quietly before making his way back towards the elevator.

 

Rhodey turned to look at him. “Where’re you going?”

 

Tony kept walking while he spoke, “My room.”

 

“You don’t wanna watch a film?”

 

“No,” Tony spat, a little too harshly.

 

Rhodey loudly sighed, purposeful, and Tony knew straight away that a lecture was about to follow. It was the same sort of sigh that Howard would use before asking Tony to try harder, to be a better man, that he was worth more than this. Tony didn’t want to hear it back then, and he didn’t want to hear it now. “What?”

 

He turned to look at Rhodey. He was stood up from the stool, his half-eaten slice sitting on the lid of the pizza box. He tried to smile at Tony. “I’m worried about you.”

 

Tony breathed in. “I heard this all from Pepper yesterday.”

 

His friend chuckled. “Good. I could see how stressed she was looking.” So, even Rhodey was worried about Pepper’s stress levels. It must be bad. Rhodey took a step towards Tony. “You’ve fallen back again, haven’t you?”

 

Tony pursed his lips. “I’m trying to break it.”

 

“By being antisocial?”

 

Tony breathed in. “I just want to sleep.”

 

“Tony, you got up at six hours ago.” Rhodey walked the rest of the distance. “I-” he lent a hand on the wall beside Tony’s shoulder “- I don’t want to see you do something stupid again.”

 

“I won’t,” Tony promised instantly. He wasn’t sure why he said it, maybe so he could escape quicker, but he knew that his promise was empty and had the possibility of breaking quicker than the wineglass that he threw at the wall last Tuesday.

 

Rhodey was silent for a moment, eyes roaming over Tony’s face, looking for a hint of sincerity, until he sighed, taking a step back. “Okay,” he whispered, raising his hands up in defeat. He brought one of them up to his face, running his palm over his stubble as he stumbled back, away from Tony. He coughed. “Did Pepper suggest any way you could help her?”

 

Tony could tell that he was trying to avoid accidentally being the first to bring up the Android request. Tony rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh before turning his back on Rhodey to step into the elevator. “We’re going to the CyberLife store on Thursday,” he replied quickly. He lent against the wall and watched his feet while the door closed. He didn’t hear Rhodey’s reply.

 

By the time he had climbed three floors, he felt bad. His stomach twisted, and his legs almost gave in. “Shit,” he whispered to himself. He shouldn’t have been like that with Rhodey. He was only trying to help Tony. Everyone was trying to help him- well, everyone who was left, at least. Vision took a slightly different approach, since his previous experience with being J.A.R.V.I.S. helped him to understand Tony and his behaviours, even in his most private of times.

 

But Vision wasn’t here. He was gone. For how long, he didn’t know.

 

Steve probably knew.

 

‘No’, Tony thought, shaking his head. It’s not Steve’s fault right now. This was probably more to do with Wanda. He had to stop blaming Steve for Vision and Wanda’s relationship. It wasn’t fair on anyone.

 

God, why did he always have to royally fuck up everything. His friendships, his relationship, the Avengers, his childhood.

 

The elevator doors opened, and he was surprised to find Pepper sat on his sofa. She was curled up under a blanket, watching a movie on his projector. She looked up as he walked in. “Hey,” she spoke softly. “how was the mission?”

 

Tony didn’t ask why she was there. He wasn’t going to complain that he couldn’t go straight to bed with her here. It was just nice to see her looking so relaxed.

 

He sat next to her on the other side of the sofa and toed his shoes off, putting his pizza slice on the cabinet beside him. “Not that well,” he said, leaning backwards, trying to relax. “Our guy wasn’t there.”

 

“Waste of time?” Pepper asked, turning her body so that she was facing Tony more than the film. Her face was curled up against the back of the sofa, cocked to the side in a very childlike manner. She gave a soft smile. “You wanna watch a film?”

 

Tony really didn’t want to watch a film. He didn’t want to watch a film with Rhodey. He didn’t want to watch a film with Pepper. Heck, if all the Avengers suddenly showed up on his doorstep ready to relive the good old times, he still wouldn’t want to watch a film with them.

 

But he thought back to how he has just treated Rhodey. He had made Pepper cry yesterday. He didn’t want to see that again. She seemed so relaxed right now. He could be a dick; he could shut her down and crawl right into bed and forget about everything, but he didn’t. Instead, he shifted his body to mirror her, head curled, legs tucked up. “Sure.”

 

Pepper smiled, and Tony noticed how genuine her smile way. There was a sparkle in her eye again, one he hadn’t seen for a very long time. It shone bright, brighter than the diamonds hanging on her ears, and it was something that he never, ever wanted to see disappear. If his only goal in life from this moment on was the keep that sparkle in Pepper’s eyes, then he would work his arse off to go beyond to make her happy.

 

He shuddered for a second. He had told himself the exact same thing when they got together for the first time.

 

The first time. How many times had they gotten together.

 

He suppressed a sigh, rubbing his cheek against the back of the sofa like a cat. Pepper giggled softly. “Which film?”

 

Tony glanced at the projection. “Whatever you’re watching.”

 

Pepper caught onto his lack of enthusiasm. Her eyebrows funnelled. “This is just-” she shifted in her seat, sitting up, suddenly looking less relaxed. “It’s nothing. Just mindless stuff.”

 

Tony sighed but gave her a smile, trying to reassure her. “Maybe I need something mindless right now.”

 

Pepper watched him for a second, eyes half-squinting in thought as she bit her lip. She shifted her legs off the sofa, lifting up the blanket. She waited until Tony had moved along so he was sat right next to her before she dropped the blanket and spoke again. “Stop thinking.” She leant back again, trying to find a comfortable position, resting her head on his shoulder as she stared at the film again.

 

Tony let her. It didn’t mean anything, at the end of the day. It felt nice to have her close again. It was calm, just two friends enjoying a movie, but there was something in his chest that ached. For a second he thought it was how he missed the days where they’d do this, only to make out and pause the movie to have sex, but then Tony realised it was something more than that. He realised that this was an illusion. He was depressed. She was stressed. And in two days she was forcing him to walk into his competitor’s store to buy himself a humanoid slave.

 

A slave. That’s what they were. You treat a humanoid creature like shit, then you start treating all humanoid creatures like shit.

 

It wasn’t right. He felt dirty that he was even going through with this. He felt like he was being forced into hiring a prostitute.

 

But he was doing this for Pepper, because her sanity, her happiness was more important than his morals.

 

They had only been watching for film for about ten minutes when Tony felt the weight on his shoulder increase. Pepper had fallen asleep. She must have had a busy day, unlike him. Everything she did was important, while Tony wandered around abandoned schools looking for a ghost like some madman. His day was a waste.

 

Tony asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. to turn the film off, and he sat there in the dark, debating whether to move Pepper or not. He wanted his bed, he wanted sleep, but he didn’t want to wake her. But at the same time, he didn’t want her to have a bad neck, or a bad back from sleeping on the sofa.

 

With a sigh, he shifted her weight, standing up above her only to lean down and scoop her up in his arms. She was half-awake, but she didn’t question anything, nuzzling her nose into the familiar smell of his neck as he carried her to his bed.

 

He laid her down on the mattress- of course his bed wasn’t made from when he was last here a couple days ago- and he reached across to remove her shoes. He stood up, walking round to his side of the bed- his side, like they both had a side, or something- and he quickly threw on his nightwear. He got under the duvet, pulling it across Pepper as well. She snuggled into one of his pillows, letting out a sigh as she let sleep take over again.

 

This should be weird. This should be more frowned upon than it was. This was his ex, and she happily let him take her to bed.

 

Tony shoved that thought away. Of course it wasn’t wrong. Their friendship was stronger than anything else they had together. He was taking care of her, not out of lust but out of love. Pepper let him take care of her, because she trusted him.

 

And that thought along made his heart swell and brought a smile to his face. Pepper wanted Tony to help her, to take care of her.

 

Maybe that was the thing missing from their relationship. Maybe it wasn’t a lack of communication, or individual motives, or even Tony’s unwillingness to give up Iron Man, as had been their excuse. Maybe it was that there was a lack of mutual care. Pepper took care of Tony’s emotions while Tony tried to take care of her by protecting the whole of New York, or the world. Tony saw the big picture, but often forgot to look at the little picture.

 

He loved her, even without the sex and the kissing, he loved her. All he wanted was her happiness and companionship; nothing else. When they were last together, he has asked her if she wanted children. She had been hesitant. At the time, he thought it was because she was a busy woman, and there was no time for her to leave to take care of a child. He now realised that was not the case. It was because she knew that he wouldn’t stop being Iron Man enough to be free enough to take care of a child. It had to be him who was the stay-at-home parent, and he couldn’t do that. If he couldn’t give it up for Pepper, why would he give it up for the kid that he wanted.

 

He was going to be a terrible father, he knew it. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Howard had left him with a rotten mantle, a burning, fiery rod of disappointments and shame.

 

Tony sighed. He turned to face her and watched as Pepper’s chest grew and shrunk with every breathe. This was on him, now. As a friend- no, as someone who loved and cared for Pepper, Tony needed to do what he needed to in order to make her happy.

 

And if buying an Android meant that she would be happy, then so be it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> So, people in the comments seem to favour IronDad over Starker, so I think that's where I'm taking this fic now.
> 
> So, next question: Who do you want to be the main couple? At the moment we have Tony and Pepper, but they've got a very strong platonic friendship right now, so whether they become a couple or not, there's still going to be lots of fluffy scenes between the two of them. Even if Tony dates someone else, they're still gonna have intense, platonic moments. (I'm asexual IRL, so I LIVE for strong platonic relationships, so I'm not going to give these two up anytime soon!)
> 
> So, who would you like to be Tony's partner. Steve could be a candidate. Maybe Steven... I noticed that I'm writing this that all the events up until Infinity War are the same, so I don't think I'm going to include Infinity War, but I can find a different way to make Tony and Stephen meet. I mean, the Android revolution is on the horizon (only four months into the future of when this fic is set...) so maybe Stephen jumps in to help there.
> 
> Either way, let me knew below who you'd like to see Tony get with. Hell, maybe I might even let Tony be single the whole time and let Peter have the limelight as the romantic couple with someone (idk, MJ? Ned? Shuri? You decide!)
> 
> Anyway, let me know! Thanks guys! You guys help direct this fic, so comment with your thoughts and ideas!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'll be updating soon :)


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